Riverton 9-10 all-stars start postseason vs. Lander

Dillon Lange, Kaden Kellner, Kendric Muehler and Jereko Martinez were on the Riverton all-star baseball team last year that finished second in the state in the 9-10-year-old Little League division.

The four are back this year as returning all-stars in the 9-10 year-old division to help Riverton have another run at the state crown.

"You could tell at the start of the year how much they learned from playing in the all-stars last year," Riverton manager Jeremy Martinez said. "That is why we are taking four 9-year-olds this year, to help develop the league for next year."

The postseason opens for Riverton vs. the Lander all-stars in a best-of-three series.

The first game is at 6 p.m. on Monday at Ron Saban Baseball Complex in Riverton.

"We are really excited to play Lander," Martinez said. "We are looking forward to that competition."

The second game of the series is at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Lander.

If the two Fremont County teams split the first two games, the third game will be played on Thursday in Lander.

"We have some good pitchers, and we have some good fielders," Martinez said.

"We have some fast outfielders. We are excited."

The winner of the Lander series will be the No. 1 seed for the district tournament July 18-20 in Cody. The top two teams district advance to the state tournament.

"The Cody all-star team will be our toughest team at the districts," Martinez said. "They have been playing a lot of baseball together."

Martinez is assisted by David Kellner and Jason Muehler.

Pitching rotation

Lange and Jereko Martinez are No. 1 and No. 2 in the pitching rotation.

"Dillon and Jereko have pitched against each other in league play," manager Martinez said. "They have both thrown shutouts and no-hitters in the league. We look forward to seeing that kind of action in the all-stars. I don't know if they will get shutouts and no-hitters, but I hope that we can keep it a low-scoring game."

Kellner, Konnor Gastan and Treyson Draper could all see time on the mound in the postseason.

Position players

Brock Hinkle, Muehler and Martinez are the catchers for Riverton.

Muehler or Hinkle will play at first base. Gastan is at second. Martinez or Kellner is the shortstop. Lange or Kellner will go at third base.

"They have improved a lot just in this week of practice," Martinez said.

Riverton will go in the outfield with Draper, Ridge Briggs, Cameron Schoening and Vincent Brown.

"We need some work in the outfield, because every kid on the all-star team for the majority of the season was in the infield," Martinez said.

"We are working hard on that. We are learning how to play as a team and backing each other up."